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Category Archives: Highway Engineering
More urban expressways for Metro Manila?
I’ve written about expressways before and particularly about where they probably are most suitable and where they shouldn’t be constructed. Here is the article I posted here in 2021: https://d0ctrine.com/2021/05/03/in-defense-of-expressways/
I will not comment anymore about the alignment of the proposed SALEX but here is a “without” and “with” elevated tollway that’s based on a photo of Padre Faura we took while doing a recon around the PGH compound last Friday.
Photo of section of Padre Faura Street fronting U.P. Manila’s Museum of Ideas
AI-assisted image showing the transformation of the section once the proposes SALEX is constructed. The elevated tollway should be higher than the renders you see on social media because there is the Line 1 along Taft Avenue.
Can the trees be saved? Maybe and by saved we don’t mean that they will be transferred. They should be retained where they are.
Why is San Miguel so intent in constructing these tollways? Is it really to “solve” Metro Manila traffic? Most objective, level-headed experts will tell you that the solution involved public and active transportation rather than more tollways. Who is whispering to Ramong Ang’s ears and advising him to build more of these tollways (and bridges)? Your guess is probably as good as mine…
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A tollway over Padre Faura?
We had a recon survey of the streets surrounding the UP Manila and UP PGH compound this morning. We walked the entire time and got to see firsthand the conditions along the streets including Pedro Gil and Padre Faura. I’ve seen and read a lot about the proposed SALEX with an alignment that will have the proposed tollway above Padre Faura.
I can’t imagine the blight that the elevated tollways will have on Padre Faura. It will surely affect traffic along the street during construction. There is a lot of AI-generated renders of what it will look like. However, not clearly shown would be the effect of the tollway on a narrow street like Padre Faura. It will be higher than the Line 1 along Taft Avenue though so most renders you see on social media are incorrect in terms of elevation.
Were the establishments along Padre Faura consulted before the alignment of the proposed tollway was submitted for approval? That alone seems to be a glaring flaw in the PPP law considering the location of the tollway. Why is another tollway for construction in the metropolis when what are required are mass transit lines and better public transport?
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New wide roads lead to more crashes?
I was in Tagaytay several times the past year and recently and couldn’t help but notice all the wide and widened roads in Cavite Province. Driving our vehicle, I also noticed how many were speeding along these roads and that many refuse to give way at intersections unless it’s signalized. We caught the terrifying images of a fresh crash this morning as we traveled home from Tagaytay. There were three wrecks at the intersection of the Crisanto Delos Reyes Road and the East West Road. It took quite some time for the rescue people to get there based on how long we got stuck in traffic just a few hundred meters from the crash site.
Wide roads and aggressive driving are just two major factors or contributors towards road crashes. I wonder what are the crash rates along these roads in Cavite Province. I also wonder how fast first responders, especially medical staff, could arrive on site for these crashes. The police were there first but looked helpless and couldn’t attend to those involved in the wrecked cars. Are they even trained for first aid? Or was this part of their training to just wait for competent medical staff to arrive?
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Article share: Why Complete Streets Design Benefits Everyone
Here is another quick share of an article; this time on Complete Streets. I guess many are aware of the AI-generated street transformations that are now being shared across many social media platforms. These show street transformations of many sections and intersections.
Source: Why Complete Streets Design Benefits Everyone
Again, it is important to have context sensitive solutions. This extends to street transformations. Some may look cool (AI tools have enabled non-architects, non-engineers, etc. to produce nice renderings) but should be tempered for the street or highway functions as well as the actual volume of people and vehicles running along these.
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The unfinished Ungka flyover in Iloilo City
The Ungka flyover generated much controversy in Iloilo not just because it remain unfinished but the reasons why it is not completed. I assume that since this is a government project, budget is not really an issue. Projects like this can always have allocations as long as it sticks to the budget or any reasonable and justifiable adjustments (read: additional funds) for its completion. However, there are technical rather than budget issues that need to be addressed and which have major implications on the budget if retrofitting is required and undertaken. Otherwise, the capacity of the overpass is compromised and it will not function as originally planned. Following are photos I took last year coming from the airport to the city.
I decided to finish and publish this now as there is news that construction recently resumed. Hopefully, the issues have been addressed and this long delayed project can be completed to help alleviate congestion in the area.
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Safety roller barriers along Sumulong Highway
Last week, I observed that the DPWH is currently installing road safety barriers along a section of Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City. Previously, I posted about the same along the Antipolo-Teresa Road, which has treacherous zigzag sections. Here are photos of the ongoing installation work along Sumulong between Padi’s Point and the Oscar Lopez Center.
Here is a link to what these barriers are and how they help make roads safer for all users:
https://roadskyguardrail.com/what-is-a-safety-roller-barrier-a-comprehensive-guide
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After getting engrossed with EDSA, is Marcos Highway next?
If you monitored the news articles and social media post over the past two decades, there seems to be an obsession for EDSA. Circumferential Road 4 is the busiest corridor in Metro Manila, stretching across several jurisdictions including Caloocan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay City. Aside from the MMDA, national agencies like the DPWH and DOTr have been heavily involved in traffic schemes and transportation infrastructure development along the corridor. These include variants of the travel demand management (TDM) scheme commonly called number coding. Since the 1990s, there’s the Line 3 and several overpasses/flyovers and underpass that have been constructed along major intersections (e.g., EDSA-Shaw, EDSA-Ortigas, EDSA-Kamuning, EDSA-Quezon Avenue, etc.). Nowadays, people are more into the EDSA carousel and most recently the pavement rehabilitation for EDSA. It seems we failed to realize that EDSA is just one corridor. There are others that also demand attention including those in other parts of the country.
Recently, a “carmaggedon” along Marcos Highway was in the headlines or shall I say was trending in social media. There was a lot of excitement for what has been a recurring nightmare to those residing along the corridor. I recall something worse occurred more than 15 years ago (pre-Ondoy), before social media and influencers and digital creators. At the time, Line 2 terminated at Santolan Station. And even back then, the MMDA insisted on playing with their U-turn scheme. I don’t recall a more in-depth study that could have involved micro-simulation modeling being done for the corridor. And since then, populations and traffic have grown steadily and as I’ve written about previously, the extension of Line 2 to Masinag seems to have had little impact on traffic. And so here we are with the MMDA still insisting on tweaking their U-turn schemes and relying mainly on gut-feel instead of a more scientific approach that may actually lead to more sound solutions for the corridor.
Approach to Marcos Highway from Felix Avenue – that’s the elevated Line 2 superstructure behind the Cainta arch.
Intersection of Marcos Highway, Felix Avenue and Gil Fernando Avenue – there’s a major foot bridge installed here so people can cross at the intersection, which used to be a signalized junction before the MMDA opted for U-turns for Marcos Highway sections under its jurisdiction.
Marcos Highway section fronting the Ayala Feliz Mall – the MMDA has played with the location of the U-turn slots in the vicinity of the Marcos Highway-Amang Rodriguez-J.P. Rizal intersection as they tried to determine the “optimum” locations of these slots.
Of course, there is also the case of Commonwealth Avenue. How many carmaggedons have occurred along that corridor? Isn’t it an everyday thing there? And there’s also Ortigas Avenue Extension and many other roads and streets where congestion seems to have been accepted as the norm. How do we make travel easier for most people? How do we improve commutes given the constraints and realities concerning behavior and choices?
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Traffic calming devices in the vicinity of schools – speed tables
Traffic calming devices are an effective means to reduce speeds especially where there are many pedestrians crossing the streets. These are usually applied near schools where there are significant numbers of pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren. Following are examples of raised crossings or speed tables located at the approaches and exits of an intersection in Naga City. These are located at the intersection of J. Hernandez Avenue and P. Burgos Street. Burgos leads straight to the main gate of the University of Nueva Caceres. However, there is no raised crossing for Burgos. There are only those for both legs of Hernandez.
Speed table along north approach of J. Hernandez Avenue
On the other side, there is another raised crossing along J. Hernandez Avenue.
POV of a pedestrian crossing at the speed table towards the UNC main gate (to the left in the photo).
There is a need to have these traffic calming devices in other locations across the city and particularly near schools where crossings are located and vehicle speeds need to be reduced. There should be no exceptions for the application of traffic calming. That includes national roads along which certain agencies like the DPWH like to maintain higher speeds despite the obvious risks posed on pedestrians. Many schools are located along national highways and raised crossings can be designed to reduce speeds while offering safe crossings to schoolchildren. We just have to change mindsets pertaining to safety and priorities.
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On how delivery culture is influencing policy and urban design
While discussing on-street parking policies and schemes with Naga City LGU officials, one comment was on providing parking space for delivery riders. Truly, delivery riders have become a significant consideration especially where they have no parking spaces to wait or sort their items. The following articles expounds on how the rise of delivery culture is influencing policy and urban design:
Franco, A. (November 14, 2025) “From edge to epicenter: How the curb became a key piece in modern cities,” Public Square, https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2025/11/05/edge-epicenter [Last accessed: 11/14/2025]
To quote from the article:
“Urban designers need to recognize that while our streets were once built exclusively for car movement and storage, they are inherently adaptable. The opportunity now is to make these spaces more equitable, accessible, and efficient for everyone, not just car owners with parking privileges. After all, the street and the curb are public spaces and should serve the diverse needs of all citizens.”
Complicated intersections in Rizal – Tikling Junction
There are several major intersections in Rizal Province. Among them are 3 junctions in Cainta, Taytay and Antipolo – Cainta Junction (Ortigas Ave Ext.-Felix Ave), Masinag Junction (Marcos Highway-Sumulong Highway), and Tikling or Kaytikling Junction. The first two are signalized intersections. The last one is supposed to be a roundabout. All three are problematic in various ways and have been associated with congestion along the major roads intersecting at these junctions.
Tikling is quite interesting as traffic seems to have worsened after it was set up as a roundabout. Taytay enforcers have been deployed here but they seem to contribute more to worsening congestion rather than easing it. Motorists familiar with the area will tell you that traffic is better when there are no enforcers. Unfortunately, not all motorists here are from the area or are familiar with the rules for navigating or positioning at a roundabout. And so the intersection is often constricted with vehicles whose drivers and riders don’t practice courtesy.
Perhaps a combination of geometric improvements and more clever enforcement/management can improve intersection performance?
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Caught (up) in traffic 